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Idea Spring
}} The Idea Spring (アイデア・スプリング) are Japanese strut-folding cameras with a focal plane shutter, made by Rokuoh-sha, the manufacturing branch of Konishiroku (predecessor of Konica). The name Idea was used on various other products by Rokuoh-sha. The name "Spring" was certainly patterned after the German "Klapp", and was probably first used in Japan on this camera; the words "spring camera" (スプリングカメラ) later became a generic term for a self-erecting folder in that country. First generation The first generation models were released in 1926. The date is given as November 1926 in Tanaka, p.35 of no.10, and as December 1926 in the chronology from the official company history Shashin to tomo ni hyaku-nen, reproduced in Tanaka, p.94 of no.10. It is simply given as 1926 in Lewis, p.35, in , item 1104, and in the chronology at R. Konishi Rokuoh-sha. They were available in three different formats: (12×16.5cm), (5×8.5cm) and (4.5×6cm). Advertisement reproduced in Morishita, p.70 of no.22. They are only known from original advertisements, and no surviving example seems to have surfaced so far. The Idea Spring cameras pictured as made in 1926 in Lewis, p.36, and in Kamera no ayumi, p.53, are actually of the second generation. Kabine model The larger model (12×16.5cm) was a copy of the Goerz Ango, as is blatantly said in original advertisements. Advertisement reproduced in Morishita, p.70 of no.22, whose illustration is also reproduced in Tanaka, p.35 of no.10, and advertisements in December 1926 and in February 1930, p.A1. It has various shutter controls on the right-hand side, a folding optical finder with no cover flaps and a front standard allowing vertical and horizontal movements, locked by two knobscrews. The lens is mounted on a focusing helical with a focus tab. In an early advertisement, the picture shows a multi-creased bellows, and the shutter is said to give 22 settings from 1/10 to 1/1200, other than T and B. Advertisement reproduced in Morishita, p.70 of no.22, whose illustration is also reproduced in Tanaka, p.35 of no.10. Three lens options are listed: Dynar 210/5.5, Collinear 200/6.3 or Heliar 180/4.5, all of them supplied with three double-sided plate holders and one film pack holder. The dimensions are given as 22×18½×6½cm, and the camera is boasted as weighing no more than 1950g with the Heliar lens. The weight is "no more than 520 monme". One source says that the model cost ¥295 in 1926 with the Heliar lens. Lewis, pp.35–6. In the December 1926 issue of , the model was advertised along with the Neat Reflex SLR; no other Idea Spring model was listed. It is presented as the "latest model" (最新型). The picture shows a single-creased bellows; no other difference is visible from the picture described above. The weight is again made a sales point of the camera. Four lens options are listed, all made by Voigtländer: * Dynar 18cm f/5.5, ; * Dynar 21cm f/5.5, ; * Collinear 18cm f/6.3, ; * Heliar 18cm f/4.5, . The pictured camera has the f/4.5 lens. A very similar advertisement appears in the February 1930 issue of . Advertisement on p.A1 of the magazine, reproduced in this page. The camera is again presented as the "latest model" (最新型), a mention which is now unfounded. The picture is exactly the same, and the only difference is the list of lens options: Dagor f/6.8, Tessar f/4.5 and Heliar f/4.5. The latter is written in bold characters, perhaps because it was considered the most prestigious. No price is mentioned. Meishi model The middle model (5×8.5cm) Meishi size: advertisement reproduced in Morishita, p.70 of no.22, and advertisement reproduced in the R. Konishi Rokuoh-sha website. Tanaka, p.35 of no.10, says (6.5×9cm) instead, probably by mistake. was somewhat inspired by the Ernemann Klapp, but it seems to have four struts hinged at the middle, the same as on the model, instead of the rigid struts of the Ernemann camera. Advertisement reproduced in Morishita, p.70 of no.22, whose illustration is also reproduced in Tanaka, p.35 of no.10, and advertisement reproduced in the R. Konishi Rokuoh-sha website. There are two knobs on the photographer's right, apparently copied from the shutter controls of the Ernemann model. The upper knob presumably winds the mechanism and the lower one presumably sets the slit width; there is probably a third control on the left to set the tension of the main spring. The release button protrudes at the front of the right-hand side plate. One advertisement says that the shutter gives 21 settings up to 1/1000, other than T and B. Advertisement reproduced in Morishita, p.70 of no.22. The lens is mounted on a focusing helical with a large focus tab, and is surrounded by a sort of hood, slightly off-centered towards the bottom. It seems that the folding optical finder was originally uncovered, then received two cover flaps copied on the Ernemann camera. Uncovered: illustration reproduced in Tanaka, p.35 of no.10. Cover flaps: advertisement reproduced in the R. Konishi Rokuoh-sha website. The advertisements say that the camera was made of mahogany; one of them mentions "polished wood" (木製塗), another presents it as a "tropical model" (トロピカル・モデル). One advertisement only mentions the Heliar 120/4.5 lens, and says that the camera was supplied with six single-sided metal plate holders and one pack film holder. The other advertisement lists the following lens options: * Dynar f/5.5, ¥175; * Heliar f/4.5, ¥200; * Heliar f/3.5, ¥220. Atom model The smaller atom model (4.5×6cm) is presented as a copy of the Ernemann Miniature Klapp in an original advertisement. Advertisement reproduced in Morishita, p.70 of no.22. No picture is known of this model. According to the same advertisement, the shutter gives eight settings from 1/10 to 1/650, other than T and B, the camera was only available with the Heliar 75/3.5 lens, and was supplied with six single-sided metal plate holders and one pack film holder. Second generation The second generation models were released in 1932. Tanaka, p.35 of no.10; Lewis, p.47, about the and models. They were again available in three formats: (12×16.5cm), (8×10.5cm) and (6.5×9cm). Kabine model The (12×16.5cm) model was essentially a continuation of the earlier model. It has a neater side plate with two controls only: the winding knob for the focal-plane shutter, which is also used to set the slit width, and a smaller knob at the bottom controlling the tension of the main spring. There is a table riveted between these two controls, showing the shutter speed resulting from the selected settings, from 1/10 to 1/1000. (One source mentions T, B, 15–1000 speeds, perhaps corresponding to early examples of the camera.) T, B, 15–1000 speeds: Tanaka, p.35 of no.10, reportedly quoting a 1932 leaflet. The shutter release is placed at the front of the right-hand side plate, in a slightly recessed position; there is a thread for a cable release placed just above. The bellows are single-plated, the same as on the Goerz Anschütz Ango. The viewfinder is larger than on the previous model, and has cover flaps on both sides, the same as on the late Ernemann Klapp. The front standard is normally similar to that of the previous model. This front standard was apparently mounted upside down on the example pictured in Tanaka, p.35 of no.10 and in , item 1104 (certainly the same), as is shown by the position of the locking knobscrews. However at least one example is known with a fixed lens standard, allowing no movements, perhaps the result of a repair. Example pictured in Lewis, p.36. The camera was reportedly available in 1932 with the Dynar 180/5.5 (¥255), Dynar 210/5.5 (¥275), Dagor 180/6.8 (¥295), Tessar 180/4.5 (¥295) and Heliar 180/4.5 (¥295). Tanaka, p.35 of no.10, reportedly quoting a 1932 leaflet. It later received the Hexar Ser.1 18cm f/4.5 lens made by Rokuoh-sha itself, perhaps from 1933. Hexar Ser.1: examples pictured in Tanaka, p.35 of no.10, in , item 1104, in Lewis, p.36, in Kamera no ayumi, p.53. Year 1933 reported in this page of the R. Konishi Rokuoh-sha website. The helical for the 18cm lens focuses down to 2 metres. The focal length is repeated on the fixed and rotating parts, perhaps to avoid mismatching the helical and lens during the assembly process. The diaphragm is built in the focusing mount, and has many blades, perhaps 17 or so, giving a near perfect circle. These details of the focusing mount are visible in the pictures published in this page at Kore nāni. Tefuda model The model was a new design, much inspired by the Ernemann models, with four straight folding struts, mounted by pairs on spring-loaded axis. However the shutter controls are similar to that of the model, and the mechanism was probably a downsized version of the latter, inspired by the Ango. (This is the reverse of the previous model, which combined an Ernemann-type shutter with Ango-type struts.) The table of shutter speeds is reportedly the exact same part as on the larger model; This is reported in this page at Kore nāni. the viewfinder is similar and the shutter release is placed the same but is not recessed. The front standard has semi-circular indents on both sides, helping to pull it out, and provides horizontal and vertical movements. The camera was reportedly available in 1932 with Tessar f/4.5 (¥234) and f/3.5 and Heliar f/4.5 (¥234) and f/3.5 lenses. Tanaka, p.35 of no.10, reportedly quoting a 1932 leaflet. It seems that an Hexar Ser.1 13.5cm f/4.5 lens was offered after some time. Example with Hexar lens observed in an online auction. The example pictured in , item 1105, and in Kamera no ayumi, p.57, owned by the Pentax Gallery, has four small holes on the right of the viewfinder, perhaps because it is a military model whose identification plate is missing. Daimeishi model The model is a downsized version of the camera. The cable release thread is placed below the shutter button instead of above. The right-hand side plate is inscribed ROKUOH-SHA at the top and has a small additional lever at the bottom. The lens standard has a different construction, apparently allowing horizontal movements only. Picture reproduced in this page of the R. Konishi Rokuoh-sha website, and example pictured in Tanaka, p.35 of no.10, with no lens mount. The only surviving example observed so far has a thick metal plate screwed to the left of the viewfinder, with a protruding pin, whose purpose is unknown. The model was reportedly available in 1932 with Tessar f/4.5 and f/3.5 and Heliar f/4.5 (¥200) and f/3.5 lenses. Tanaka, p.35 of no.10, reportedly quoting a 1932 leaflet. The price of ¥400 is given for the Tessar f/4.5 version, certainly by mistake. It was probably released with an Hexar lens after some time, perhaps with the Hexar Ser.1 10.5cm f/4.5, but this is merely a guess. Military models The and models were also supplied to the Japanese military forces as the Handheld Land Camera (手持式地上写真機, temochi-shiki chijō shashinki). , item 6009, says that the camera is identical to the 1926 Idea Spring, whereas it is actually similar to the 1932 model. They have an identification plate riveted to the top, on the right of the viewfinder, and no other visible difference. This plate reads as follows: * 手持式地上写真機 ("Handheld Land Camera", the name of the camera); * カビネ ( size) or 手札 ( size), in parentheses; * 第xxx號 (the serial number); * 昭和xx年x月 (the Shōwa year and month); Add 1925 to the Shōwa year to obtain the year in the Christian era. * 株式会社小西六工場 / 六櫻社製造 (Made by Rokuoh-sha, a factory of K.K. Konishiroku). The plate also has an anchor and another sign stamped on it, perhaps indicating that delivery was taken by the Navy. (However a few sources say that the camera was made for the Japanese Army.) , item 6009, this page at R.Konishi Rokuoh-sha. The cameras normally have a Hexar Ser.1 18cm f/4.5 lensDocumented serial numbers: 4343 (eBay nº 110517330896 / Apr 16, 2010) , but the example pictured in has a non original Dagor 180/6.8, , item 6009. perhaps taken from a civilian Idea Spring. The camera has a Hexar Ser.1 13.5cm f/4.5 lens. Lens reported in this page at Kore nāni. The serial numbers known so far are no.84 (Dec. 1938), Example observed in an online auction (Hexar lens no.2272). no.102 (Mar. 1939) Example pictured in Nakayama and Imai, pp.146–7 of Militarī gun'yō kamera daizukan (Hexar lens no.2258). and no.164 (Jun. 1939) Example pictured in this page at Kore nāni (Hexar lens no.2407). in kabine size, and no.56 (Jan. 1939) Example pictured in this page at Kore nāni. in tefuda size, apparently indicating that the total numbers were quite low. The 1939 and 1940 dates inscribed on the military models indicate that they were made long after the introduction of the second generation models in 1932. It is not known if civilian production was continued until that time, or if the military models were a resurrection of a discontinued camera. The Idea Spring does not appear in the official list of set prices compiled in October 1940 and published in 1941, thus indicating that civilian sales were stopped at the time. . Notes Bibliography * . Advertisement by Konishiroku Honten in December 1926. No page number. * . Advertisement by Konishiroku Honten in February 1930 (p.A1). * The Idea Spring is not listed in this document. * Pp.53 and 57. * Pp.35–6 and 47. * P.538. * Morishita Hajime (森下肇). "Atomu-han kamera no subete" (アトム判カメラのすべて, All of Atom-size cameras). Pp.55–70. * Nakayama Kaeru (中山蛙) and Imai Kesaharu (今井今朝春). Militarī gun'yō kamera daizukan (ミリタリー軍用カメラ大図鑑, Album of military cameras). Tokyo: Green Arrow, 1997. ISBN 4-7663-3192-3. Pp.146–7. * Items 1104–5 and 6009. * Tanaka Masao (田中政雄). "Konica history 4. Taishō 12-nen – Shōwa 8-nen." (Konica history 4. 大正12年–昭和8年. From Taishō year 12 (1923) to Shōwa year 8 (1933).) Pp.33–8. (See also the cover page of the magazine.) * Tanaka Yoshirō (田中芳郎). "Meiji–Taishō jidai no Konishi Honten no kamera wo shiru tame no hon" (明治・大正時代の小西本店のカメラを知るための本, Books about the Konishi Honten cameras of the Meiji and Taishō eras). Pp.92–4. Links In English: * Picture taken with an Idea Spring at photo.net In Japanese: * Idea Spring in the Camera database of the Center of the History of Japanese Industrial Technology * [http://www.geocities.jp/kyo_oomiya/handcam.html Handheld Land Camera (kabine size and tefuda size)] at Kore nāni * Pages at R. Konishi Rokuoh-sha: ** Advertisement for the Idea Spring (1926 model) and Idea Spring (1932 model) in the camera list ** Hexar lenses, with a section on military cameras Category: Japanese 4.5x6 plate folding Category: Japanese 6.5x9 folding Category: Japanese 8x10.5 folding Category: Japanese 12x16.5 folding Category: Strut folding plate Category: Konica Category: I Category: 1926